The present invention generally relates to a reproduction apparatus, such as a copier which utilizes an electrophotographic process.
Currently, copiers which utilizes an electrophotographic process are generally required to be constructed such that a user can maintain the copier with relative ease. For example, sometimes, a paper jam must be remedied and to accomplish this it becomes necessary to pivot the feeder and the scanner from their normal operating positions to gain access to the location of the paper jam. However, if the feeder is located on top of the scanner and both the scanner and the feeder are capable of pivoting through an angle of 70 degrees or more about their individual pivot points, for normal operation and maintenance, the combined pivoting effect is 140 degrees or more. This may cause the feeder to make contact with objects located behind it resulting in damage to the feeder and other components of the copier, to which it is attached. The present invention, however, solves this problem by incrementally restraining the angle of pivot of the feeder, in relation to the angle of pivot of the scanner, while still providing the desired pivoting of the scanner and feeder to accomplish normal operation and maintenance. In other words, as the angle of pivot of the scanner, in relation to the copier housing, increases, the angle of pivot of the feeder, in relation to the scanner, decreases and visa versa.